The chance discovery of artefacts and parchment in a disused cellar beneath a medieval swan pit propels the Morgan family into the epicentre of an unfolding drama. Paul Morgan falls out with his father, an Anglican priest, over his religious upbringing. He travels to New Zealand to find out why Uncle Oliver emigrated there and is ostracised by his family. Paul's close friend Hussain, a devout Muslim, is coincidently attending an Islamic "conference" on the Island. Paul meets Laura and falls in love. Forensic test results have been intercepted by the security services, causing consternation in the Christian Church and in the higher echelons of Government. Can the revelations be kept out of the public domain? Prime Minister Dick Benson fears a constitutional crisis. Who will prevail - the Church, the state, or the monarchy? Paul's aunt, the archivist involved in examining parchment found in the swan pit discovery, goes missing. Paul becomes uneasy about Hussain's motives and his interpretation of Islam. Why has his aunt disappeared? What is the family secret? Laura has become tense and distant - why?